Finally Saying Goodbye to the Feature Phone! The “Rakuraku Phone” That Was So Convenient It Shocked Hidehiko Ishizuka of “Honjama-ka”

 I was a bit reluctant at first, but…

Hello, everyone. I’m Hidehiko Ishizuka, and I got tired of being asked, “What’s wrong with you?” by more than 10 people I passed while visiting a relative in the hospital—only to have to reply, “No, I’m just here to visit.”

So, in this post, I’d like to write about myself and the “Raku Raku Phone (Raku Raku Smartphone).”

I’m just terrible at keeping up with new trends. I’m the kind of hopeless person who doesn’t understand half the slang used by young people these days—and I don’t even try to. I’m in the camp that uses the term “cell phone” instead of “smartphone” (whatever that camp even is).

Because of this, I’d been using a feature phone for quite a long time. I kept saying, “It still works fine,” but I got swayed by my manager’s vague remarks—like, “You can look up all sorts of things and send all kinds of messages”—so I headed to the Docomo shop near my house.

When I walked into the store—only to find that they didn’t even carry the model I was looking for—I was greeted by a life-size cutout of Shinobu Otake and the words “Raku Raku Phone.” I was completely smitten by both the name and Shinobu Otake. I hate anything complicated, but I love anything easy.

“Is the ‘Raku Raku Phone’ really that easy to use?”

“Yes. It’s very easy to use.”

After wrapping up that silly exchange with the clerk, I headed to the counter. Normally, you have to make a reservation, but it happened to be open at that exact time, so I was able to start the process right away. It felt “Raku Raku” even before I started the process. I felt it was fate. I should get the Raku Raku Phone.

I’m totally hooked

When the salesperson showed me a demo, I thought, “The text is huge!” Well, of course—the screen is bigger than on a flip phone. Still, it was a real shock. It’s so easy on the eyes.

As they moved on to explaining the features, one new door after another opened up. “You can check the weather forecast with this. Press this for the weekly forecast. This is the rain cloud radar. This brings up a map.”

“It’s a little small and hard to see.”

“In that case, you can zoom in by pinching with your thumb and index finger.”

Wait a minute! Isn’t using your thumb and index finger something you only do when snacking in the kitchen?!

I can even use the Rakuraku Phone to look up the meanings of words from young people that I’ve been pretending not to hear until now. Even if my daughter asks for a gift, I can check how much it costs and find out which store has the best price. I can instantly look up the profiles of the guests I’m appearing with that day, making it easier to find common topics of conversation. It’s a plus for work, too. I’ve completely fallen for the “Rakuraku” experience.

While looking at the screen, I spotted an app that really caught my eye: “Raku Raku Phone Center.” According to the store clerk, if you’re unsure how to use the phone, tapping this connects you directly to an operator who’ll help solve your problem.

I love talking to people, so I put on a brave face and said, “Well, I don’t think I’ll use it, but please set it up for me,” and asked them to do so. However, as soon as I got home, I ended up calling the “Raku Raku Phone Center” right away (laughs). It turned out I hadn’t canceled the subscription for an app I used back in the feature phone days.

“I’d like to cancel a service I used to have,”

“Yes. Please put your phone on speaker and place it in front of you,” a gentle voice said, and the cursor began moving via remote control. The problem was successfully resolved.

Why don’t you make your life a little easier with a Rakuraku Phone, too?

From the July 17 & 24, 2026, combined issue of *FRIDAY*